Paul Walker, the star of Universal Pictures’ “Fast and the Furious” movie franchise, died Saturday after the Porsche he was riding in struck a light pole in Valencia, Calif., Variety has confirmed. He was 40.

“All of us at Universal are heartbroken,” the studio said in a statement issued Saturday night. “Paul was truly one of the most beloved and respected members of our studio family for 14 years, and this loss is devastating to us, to everyone involved with the ‘Fast and Furious’ films, and to countless fans.”

According to Walker’s Facebook page, he was the passenger in a car driven by a friend following an event for his charity Reach Out Worldwide. Walker has business connections to Always Evolving Performance Motors, which is located near the crash site.

Authorities said they responded to the crash at about 3:30 p.m. PT in the 28300 block of Rye Canyon Loop and found the car engulfed in flames. The victims were pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities said that speed was a factor in the crash.

The driver of the car Roger Rodas, was a professional driver who’s raced in the Pirelli World Challenge. Rodas and Walker were Porsche enthusiasts and owned a race team together

Paul Walker is survived by a teenage daughter, Meadow.

Share this:

Will Kohler is one of America's well known LGBT historians, He is also a a accredited journalist and the owner of Back2Stonewall.com.
A longtime gay activist Will fought on the front lines of the AIDS epidemic with ACT-UP and continues fighting today for LGBT acceptance and full equality.
Will’s work has been referenced in notable media venues as BBC News, CNN, MSNBC, The Washington Post, The Daily Wall Street Journal, Hollywood Reporter, and Raw Story,
Mr. Kohler is available for comment, interviews and lectures on LGBT History.
Contact: Will@Back2Stonewall.com